How smart is the Apple Smart Battery Case?

Apple introduced the Smart Battery case last December for the iPhone 6 and 6s. To me, it was one of those random releases. I woke up one morning and noticed it available to buy. I already had the mophie battery case for my iPhone 6s at the time, as I buy those for every new phone. The case from mophie, is everything I needed in a battery case. It gave me over 100% extra battery so I never had to worry about being plugged into a wall or vehicle charger.

Where Apple won me over right out the gate was this:

The Lightning port. This is Apple’s proprietary charging solution that was introduced about 4 years ago.

All of mophie’s cases use, well known to Android users, the micro USB charger. There isn’t anything wrong with that but it is a pain in the butt carrying multiple cables around.

Enter, Apple’s Smart Battery case.

Design

Apple went out on a limb with this design. It is far from Apple’s most beautiful product.

A lot of people are calling this the “hunchback” case. I really do not like the way this looks. In true Apple fashion, it does stand out but not in the way we are used to.

This case does feel a little heavier than other battery cases I have used in the past. Considering you are strapping a battery onto your phone, a little heftiness isn’t too surprising. Staying with the way it feels, remember that “little” hump? That “little” hump makes holding the phone a whole lot easier. The way it is made, your hand just kind of gets nestled on the back and it is very nice to hold.

If you have ever used Apple’s silicone cases, the material of this case will be a welcoming feature. This is the same silicone material used on Apple’s regular silicone case. Personally, I am not a fan of the silicone cases. I don’t like the texture of it. Pulling it out of your pockets can cause the lining of your pocket to come inside out. Also, you will notice this thing will be covered in pocket lint. Which is very noticeable on the black colored case.

I am sure everyone is aware by now that Apple has removed the headphone jack with the iPhone 7. If you didn’t know, SURPRISE!! With that being said, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only battery case that will allow you to listen to audio through the lightning port. If you have not moved onto bluetooth yet, this is a huge win!

Performance

As mentioned earlier, this uses Apple’s lightning port which is very convenient. You only have to worry about carrying one cable which is a huge relief. This also integrates with iOS and gives you a cool widget so you can see how much charge the case has left.

The case is always on. That means that this will keep your iPhone at 100% until the case is depleted. Personally, I like other battery cases that have an on/off switch and can use it when you need it. But that is not an option here. It is Apple’s way or the highway!

When you plug in the case with the phone in it, it will charge both phone and case simultaneously.

Price

The Apple Smart Battery case costs $99 and comes in a couple of different colors.

VERDICT

I love this case. Yes, it is smart. It integrates well with iOS and uses all of those lightning cables you already own. It keeps you charged up all day long by more than doubling your battery life. While I don’t care for the material it is made out of or the way it looks, it does the job. So if you are looking for a case that gives you extra battery power to get through the day I say this is the one!